Help me understand the importance of the prophecy, please

[slgazit]

No: HPFGUIDX 82129

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "augustinapeach" 
<augustinapeach at y...> wrote:
> Finally, Voldemort -- "It's probably lucky Voldemort didn't get the 
> orb for he'd have to take it back and demanded a refund!"
> 
> This is where I differ.  I think the prophecy has huge implications 
> for Voldemort.  For one thing, it tells him who he really has to 
> fear -- Harry.

But he knows that from the part of the prophecy he knows of - "the 
one with the power to vanquish the dark lord ... will be born as the 
seventh month dies". Why otherwise does he spend so much effort 
trying to destroy and/or capture Harry, but virtually no effort on 
trying to kill Dumbledore?

> Even 
> during the scene in the atrium of the MOM, when he and Harry are 
> face to face, Bellatrix is trying to warn Voldemort that Dumbledore 
> is in the building (p. 812, US). Voldemort, in his arrogance, again 
> sells Harry short, dismissing him by saying, "You have irked me too 
> often, for too long." (p. 813) (This attitude also shows in GOF, 
> Chap. 33.) I don't think you would say your mortal enemy 
has "irked" 
> you!  Voldemort is going to kill Harry simply for revenge, not 
> realizing Harry's power.

My reading of that is quite different. Voldemort is so focused on 
killing Harry that he pushes everything else away from his mind. He 
tells Bellatrix "Do you think I came here to hear your snivelling 
apology?". He came there specifically to kill Harry, even though this 
totally messes up his brilliant strategy of staying hidden and 
letting Malfoy manipulate Fudge and the ministry to get rid of his 
main enemies (Harry, Dumbledore, etc.) without so much as lifting a 
finger himself.

I also think that he did not understand who the "he" in Bellatrix's 
warning was. She did not say "Dumbledore". How could Voldemort know 
who she referred to? If he were not so preoccupied with Harry, he 
would probably have stopped to consider who she meant.

And I did not think he sold Harry short here - yes he speaks very 
contemptously to him, but unlike GoF where he tries to play with him, 
here he goes specifically to kill him and wastes no time doing that, 
barring a few gloating words.

Salit